It was a busy Monday at the Post Office on Maple Avenue in downtown Manteca. It was four days before Christmas, and there was a steady parade of people dropping off Christmas cards and packages to loved ones.

The New Year's flood of 1997 was like no other seen in Northern California since 1906 when flood records started being recorded. A California Department of Water Resources report called it the "largest" flood in the 90-year period prior to that year's flooding.

The Manteca Kindred Arts has been bringing top-notch musicians of national and international caliber to Manteca for nearly three decades. Perhaps less known is the fact the non-profit organization has been offering other entertainment options every year for the public's gastronomical pleasure, among other things.